Chapter 10 #2
“Oh my God, it’s the end of the world.” I looked at Alice with a smile. “Aiden is not trying to tell me what I can and can’t do.”
“I guess miracles do happen,” she said softly, and I watched as Aiden laughed.
“I guess so.” I pulled out a slinky black dress that I’d worn in college and showed it to her. “Should I wear this tonight?”
“That’s hot.” Alice nodded. “Definitely wear that dress.”
“Okay, this is my cue to leave.” Scott hurried out of the bedroom, and Aiden, Alice, and I all looked at each other.
“So, where are you two going?” Aiden asked softly.
I gave him a weird look. Why was he still in the room? What did he care where we were going? Men were so difficult to understand. I had no clue what Aiden was up to, and he was my brother.
“Not sure yet. That’s all Liv’s decision.”
“Oh, okay. You trust her?” Aiden joked.
My jaw opened even wider. Was that my brother teasing Alice?
“Yeah, I trust her.” Alice smiled and blushed.
“What sort of place are you guys looking for?” Aiden asked again.
“We’re looking for a place with hot men who will devour us,” I said with a laugh.
“Hmm.” Aiden looked at me with a disapproving look. “I know a nice wine bar, if you guys are interested in that?”
“No, we’re going to dirty-dance and grind. Maybe we’ll drink some wine as well, but we want loud music and fast men.” I danced around and started moving my body back and forth. “I want a man who knows how to move to some hip-hop, baby.”
“Okay.” Aiden frowned. “That sounds like fun.”
“It will be.” I smiled at him sweetly.
“Maybe I’ll come as well.”
“What?” My smile left my face. “No, you can’t come.”
“Come where?” Xander walked into my room.
“What is going on in here?” I turned away from him. “Why does everyone think they can just walk into my room?”
“Maybe because you have an open-door policy?” Xander answered with a smirk.
I just rolled my eyes. What had I ever seen in this insufferable man?
“It’s not open to you.”
“What do you want, Xander?” Alice glared at him.
A surge of happiness washed through me. This was why Alice was my best friend. This was why I trusted her with my life. She always had my back.
“Girls”—Aiden frowned as he looked at us—“why are you being so hostile to Xander?”
“I don’t think we’re being hostile,” I said sweetly and turned to Xander. “Do you think we’re being hostile?”
“No”—he stared into my eyes—“I don’t.”
“So, how can I help you, Xander? Did you get lost? Do you need me to help you find Gabby’s room?”
I turned back to my closet and picked up a red dress. “Or this one?” I showed it to Alice, and she nodded enthusiastically.
“Maybe try them both on and let me see what they look like.”
“You’re wearing a dress to play Scrabble tonight?” Xander looked confused. “A bright red dress with a long slit. What kind of Scrabble game is this?” He grinned and looked at Aiden.
“They’re going out dancing.” Aiden shook his head, as if to say, Typical girls.
“Dancing?” Xander looked at me. “I didn’t know we were going dancing tonight.”
“We’re not going anywhere. Alice and I are going.”
“Just you and Alice?” Xander looked at Aiden. “Is that safe?”
“What do you mean, is that safe? We’re women, not little girls,” I growled at him.
“I wanted to go with them as well, but they said no,” Aiden said softly, and I saw him looking at Alice.
“Well, I suppose you guys can come,” Alice said weakly, and I gave her a death glare.
“Sorry, guys, you’re not coming. It’s a girls’ night out.” I put my hands on my hips. “Alice and I need to meet some hot guys.”
“What?” Xander frowned again. And this time, his green eyes looked at me furiously. “Is that a good idea?”
“Yes. Why wouldn’t it be?” I asked him with a sass I’d never known I possessed before.
“I just don’t think it’s a good idea.” His lips thinned.
“And you thought I was overprotective.” Aiden laughed then. “Looks like you have another big brother who is going to boss you around, Liv.”
“Oh, yay, another annoying big brother,” I groaned and then walked over and gave Xander a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Welcome to the family, big bro.”
“Thanks.” Xander looked at me with a weird expression on his face.
I could see that I’d knocked him off of his feet slightly. I didn’t know what he was thinking, but I did know that he wasn’t acting as cocky and confident as he had before.
“Now scram. I want to try on my dresses.”
“Yeah, I want to try on my dresses as well,” Alice said and looked at Aiden. “Please vacate the room.”
“We’re out of here.” Aiden grinned at her.
I felt like puking. It looked like it was really going to happen. Alice was going to end up dating Aiden, and they were going to get married, and I was going to have to be around him forever as a single loser.
“Or we can help you both decide,” Xander said, not moving.
“Huh?” I looked at him with narrowed eyes, my heart racing. “What do you mean?”
“We can tell you which dresses look best.”
“This isn’t Pretty Woman.” I scoffed. “We don’t need your help.”
“Fine.” He shrugged. “No hair off my back.”
“See ya then.”
“Let’s go, Xander.” Aiden walked out of the bedroom, and Xander followed behind him.
“He’s a hard guy to figure out, isn’t he?” Alice sighed.
“Yes, he is. I just don’t get him at all.”
“Is it sad that all I can think about is what it would be like to kiss him?” Alice said wistfully.
I froze. “You want to kiss Xander?”
“What? No. I’m talking about Aiden.”
“Oh, sorry. I was talking about Xander.”
“Ugh, men!” She shook her head, and I made a face.
“I’m going to go to the study to read for a bit,” I said.
I needed to get out of the room and clear my thoughts, as I felt confused and muddled about my feelings.
“Okay. Sounds good. We can try on the dresses in a couple of hours?”
“Yes! Let’s do that.”
“Okay, I’m going to have a nap now then.” She yawned. “I’m still a bit exhausted.”
Jealousy was one of those emotions that I loved to hate. I hated feeling jealous because it made me feel inadequate, but I loved it when a guy was jealous over me. It was a weird thing, jealousy. There was such a fine line to walk without seeming crazy.
I had to admit, I was jealous over the relationship my sister had with Xander, even though they had never had sex. Supposedly. I didn’t know any platonic friends who had gotten engaged. It made me burn inside. I mean, it wasn’t like he was mine, but I kinda had a thing for him.
I wanted him to want me to be his fake fiancée.
Why couldn’t he have asked me to marry him?
Though that could be more complicated for us.
Seeing as we’d had sex and all. And seeing as I had real emotions for him.
I just didn’t know why they were getting married, especially because she was pregnant with another man’s baby.
“What’re you reading?” His deep voice interrupted my thoughts as he walked into the study and sat next to me on the couch.
“Hemingway.” I said the first name that had come into my head. “Ernest Hemingway. For Whom the Bell Tolls,” I continued, not sure where the lies were coming from as I hid the cover of my Fifty Shades of Grey book.
I didn’t need him thinking I was a nymphomaniac.
I didn’t know what ideas he might get into his mind if he knew I was reading a book about BDSM.
I did not need him tying me up on my father’s desk and fucking me with my ass in the air as he spanked me for being a naughty girl.
I didn’t need him doing that at all, though I had to admit that the thought of that happening was quite exciting.
Maybe we could role-play; he could be Christian Grey, and I could be Ana. Only I didn’t want to do any of the hardcore stuff, like being whipped. I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy being whipped. Though I wouldn’t mind being spanked with his hot, sexy, firm hands.
“Oh, really?” His eyes looked impressed as he gazed at me, and I wondered if he looked at my sister like that as well.
“Oh, really what?” I said, distracted by his gaze.
“Oh, really, you’re reading Hemingway?” He grinned. “Which book again?”
“The Old Man and the Sea,” I said quickly and then swore under my breath. “I mean, For Whom the Bell Tolls.” I blushed and looked down.
That was why I wasn’t going to let him tie me up and have sex with me in the study. When I was around him, my brain went to shit. Who knew what would happen if we really got down and dirty?
“Oh, what’s it about?”
“What’s what about?” I asked him blankly as I imagined him spanking me lightly and then a little harder. I wondered how into the spanking he would get. Would my ass sting from his touch, or would it merely tingle?
“The book.” His eyes teased me as he sat there.
“Oh, it’s about a man waiting by a church,” I said weakly. “He goes to the church every day and waits for the bell to ring.”
“He goes to wait for the bell to ring?” Xander’s lips twitched.
“Yeah.” I nodded. “It’s a magical book, and it only rings for wizards. Like Harry Potter, you know?”
“Hmm, I see.” He grinned and then grabbed the book from my hand. “Fifty Shades of Grey?” he said as he looked at the cover. “Is this a new one by Hemingway then? One I haven’t heard of before?”
“Give it back.” I snatched it back from him, my face a deep, dark red. “What are you doing in here anyway? Haven’t you bothered me enough for the day?”
“I didn’t know you’d be in here. I thought you were doing your fashion show with Alice.”
“Ha-ha. Fashion show indeed. We’re just trying on outfits and deciding what we both look best in.”
“If you say so.” He opened the book. “Now tell me what this book is about.”
“It’s just a romance book.” I blushed and reached over for the book. “Give it back to me.”
“I have a question.” He handed me the book, his eyes sparkling.
“What?” I snapped, embarrassed that he’d called me out.
“What’s a Christian Grey–flavored Popsicle?” he asked with light eyes.
“What?” I frowned at him and then hit him on the shoulder with the book. “You’re a pervert.”
“I’m the pervert?” He grinned. “I’m not the one reading porn in the middle of the day.”
“I’m not reading porn,” I growled at him.
“I mean, if you’re feeling horny, I can help you out.”
“Help me out?”
“With my miracle tongue.” He grinned and then flicked his tongue back and forth at me.
I had to admit, the sight of his long pink tongue moving sensually across his mouth did turn me on. A lot. I could feel it in my panties and in the heaviness in my breasts.
“Xander”—I shook my head—“have you no shame?”
“No.” He leaned forward, and I felt his tongue in my ear.
“I have no shame at all,” he whispered and then sucked on my earlobe.
“Let me make you come, Liv. Let me take your panties off with my teeth and let me take you to the top of the cliff and back down with my tongue. It wants to be inside of you as much as you want it inside of you.”
“Actually”—I jumped up off of the couch and dropped the book into his lap—“I don’t care about your tongue at all. I don’t need your tongue inside of me. And I certainly don’t need to be taken up and down a cliff, thank you very much.”
“Are you sure about that?” His fingers ran across my trembling lips. “Climbing cliffs is very enjoyable.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve been down that road, and I have no need to go back.” I pushed his hand away and quickly walked out of the study, my heart racing at his touch.
Why, oh why, did Xander affect me so badly?
He was like a drug my body desperately craved that I knew was very bad for me.
He was slowly but surely making me an addict, and I knew that my addiction was leading me nowhere good.
I knew I had to wean myself off of him before it was too late.
I was not going to let Xander and his miracle tongue bring me down any further than I already was.